Draft gear



July 31, 1928.

- J. E. FORSYTH DRAFT GEAR Filed March 6. 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 1 July 31, 1928. 1,679,301

J. E. FORSYTH DRAFT GEAR 3 ts-Sheet 2 Filed March 1926 July 31, um

J. E. FORSYTH DRAFT GEAR 1% v GWZO)? ZZZ/1397i,

Patented July 31, 1928 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. FORSYTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FORSYTH DRAFT-GEAR CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS. i

DRAFT GEAR.

Application filed March This invention relates particularly to draft-gears for use in connection with railway cars.

The primary object is to provide an improved draft-gear of high capacity and improved operation.

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodimentin the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section view of a car equipped with the improved draft-gear. Fig. 2, a transverse sectional view taken as indicated at line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 2, a fragmentary sectional view in the same plane as the section shown in Fig. 3, illustrating a slightly modified spring-cap and follower-block; Fig. 3, a broken plan sectional view showing details of the improved draft-gear; Fig. 4, a transverse vertical sectional view taken as indicated at line 4-4: of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a transverse vertical sectional view taken as indicated at line 55 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6, afragmentary plan sectional view showing the parts in a somewhat different position from that shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 6, a alan view of a modification of the lever emp oyed;

In the construction illustrated, A designates the substructure of a car, the intermediate longitudinal beams being designated A, A B, B, the front and rear stops, respectively, for the draft-gear, these stops being rigidly secured to the beams A and A C, a yoke which embraces the followerblocks of the draft-gear and which is com nccted with the draw-bar C of the car in the usual manner; D, D, the front and rear follower-blocks, respectively; E, E, the front and rear sets of springs, respectively; F, F, the front and rear spring-caps, respectively; and G, G, a pair of complemental leversections, which, together, constitute a compensating lever interposed between the spring-caps and the opposed shoulders of the follower-blocks.

The substructure of the car may be of standard construction, the improved draftgear being adapted tobe mounted therein, being housed between the longitudinal beams A and A These beams are shown connected at their bottom portions by crossmembers 1 upon which the yoke C is slidably supported. A cross-member 2 is disposed above the yoke.

The follower-blocks D and D are of the 6, 1926. Serial No. 92,764.

by reinforcing ribs 8. At the end of the block which is opposite the end wall 5, the block is provided with a partial end wall 9 which joins the adjacent ends of the reinforcing flanges S and the web 6. The transverse partialend wall 9 is equipped with teeth, or corrugations, 10.

The block D has its top and bottom walls sheared along the diagonal plane 11. The

inner end flanges of the top and bottom walls present shoulders, or stops, indicated at 12 (Fig. 1). The inner end of the block presents a stepped arrangement, as indicated by the lines 12 and 13.

As thus described, the follower-block D provldes (Fig. 5) a chamber 14.- for the set of springs E and the spring-cap F; also, the curved web 6 provides a concave bearing surface 15 for the shank of the spring-cap F.

The followenblock D is of thesame construction, and presents the same contour,

shoulders, walls, surfaces, etc. as the follow er-block D; and the parts of the block D are designated by the same reference'numerals with the indexa. Thus, these corresponding parts are designated 3 -15.

The spring-cap F is provided with a head 16 having a concave end-surface 17 which is provided with horizontal corrugations. The spring-cap F is provided also with a shank 18 of concavo-convcx cross-section and works in the slot 7. The outer surface of the segmental shank 18 conforms to the concave bearing surface 15 of the web 5. From Fig. 6, it will be observed that the web 6 is disposed at one side of the vertical longitudinal central plane of the draft-gear, and that the curvature of the web and of the shank 18 of the spring-cap are such as to provide enlarged space in the chamber 14 for the springs E. The object, in this respect, is to gain increased spring capacity and also to gain increased frictional area at the bearing between the spring-cap and the web 6.

Thespring-cap F is similar in construcequipped with a. reinforcing rib 19 which I tion, contour, etc. to the spring-cap F, but the spring-cap F occupies a reversed position. Corresponding parts of the springcap F are designated 1(519.

The lever which is interposed between the follower-blocks and opposed spring-caps preferably is composed of the two members G and G which are capable of limited movement with relation to each other. This twomember lever acts as a single lever, but is self-adjusting in length, the purpose, in general, being to allow a compensating movement of the members in order that the levermembers may adjust themselves properly at all times with respect to their bearings during the pulling and butting operations.

The lever-member G has a head portion which provides a convexity 20 having corrugations 21 which register with the corrugations of the concave end-surface 17 of the spring-cap F. Also, the lever presents opposite the convexity 20 a rack-portion 29. having teeth which register with the teeth 10 of the follower-block D; and the levermember is further provided with a shankportion 23. The lever-member G is similar to the member G, but reversed in position. The corresponding parts are designated 20-23. The rack-portion 28 engages the teeth 10 of the follower-block D. The levermember G is adapted to have a restricted sliding movement with relation to the levermember G along the plane designated 24. The member G is provided with astop 25 which engages a slot 26 with which the member G is provided. The arrangement is such as to permit a limited sliding movement of the lever-members with relation to each other to enable them to adjust themselves naturally under the stresses which are exerted during the operation of the draft-gear.

It is desirable, in practice, to place the springs under initial compression; and, for convenience in assembling the draft-gear, rods 27 are employed for this purpose. Each rod extends somewhat obliquely through a corresponding set of springs and through suitable perforations with which the endwalls of the follower-blocks, the heads of the spring-caps and the head-portions of the lever-members are provided. Thus, for example, one of the bolts 27 connects the outer end-wall 5 of the follower-block D with the inner end-wall, or abutment wall, 9, of the follower-block D. Similarly, the other bolt connects the outer end-wall 5" of the follower-block D with the inner end-wall 9 of the follower-block D. The members through which the bolts extend are suitably slotted, or perforated, to permit the necessary rela tive movement of the members; and the bolts are so arranged as to permit the necessary sliding action during the operation of the draft-gear.

In the operation of the device, when the yoke C is drawn forwardly, it causes the fol lower-block D to move forwardly away from the stops B. During this action. the two-member lever undergoes a rocking movement, and heavy friction is exerted in the draft-gear, especially at the corrugated concavo-convex bearing surfaces between the lever-members and the springs-caps. The springs resist the collapsing action of the draft-gear and later restore the draft-gear to the extended position. Under butting actlou. a similar result is obtained, but in this case the follower-block D remains against the stops B while the follower-block D moves away from the stops B.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, D designates a follower-block; and F designates a spring-cap. In this case. the shank of the spring-cap is provided with a lug 528 which extends wholly through a slot 7" which corresponds with the slots 7 and 7 in the previously described construction. The lug 28 is fitted with a vertical pin 29 which works against bearing surfaces 30 with which the strengthening ribs 8 (one shown) are provided. The strengthening ribs correspond with the strengthening ribs 8 and 8 of the previously described construction. It will be understood that the stud, or bolt, 29 serves as a retainer to hold the shank of the spring-cap properly against its bearing surface 15', which corresponds with the bearing surfaces 15 and 15 of the first described construction. It may be added that where the spring-cap is provided with retaining means for holding the shank-portion pro erly seated against its bearing, the use of t 1e stud and slot connections 25 and 26 between the lever-members G and G may be dispensed with.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 7, an integral lever G is shown. Such integral lever may be employed in lieu of the twomember lever previously described, but the two-member lever is preferred owing to the fact that it tends to relieve undue strains and permits a certain desirable self-adjustment of the lever parts with relation to the bearings therefor which are provided on the follower-blocks and spring-caps.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

lVhat I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a draft-gear, the combination of a pair of opposed follower-blocks, each presenting an inner end bearing abutment and each carrying a coil-spring and a spring-cap, and a two-member rock-lever interposed between the spring-caps and the opposed hearing abutments of the follower-blocks.

2. In a draft-gear, the combination of a pair of opposed follower-blocks having at their inner ends toothed abutments, a springcap in each follower-block, a coil-spring interposed between each spring-cap and the opposite end-wall of the follower-block, said spring-caps having transversely corrugated end concavities, a lever device interposed between the spring-caps and said toothed abutments said lever device comprising two members adapted to shift with relation to each other, each member having a corrugated convexity engaging the corrugated concavity of a corresponding spring-cap and having also a rack-portion engaging a corresponding toothed abutment, and a yoke de ice embracing said follower-blocks.

3. In a draft-gear, a pair of opposed follower-blocks, each having a toothed inner end abutment, a spring-cap opposed to each abutment and provided with a concave bearing, and a pair of interposed lever-members having shank-portions slidably engaging each other each lever-member having a and havinglongitudinal webs disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal vertical central plane of the draft-gear and presenting oppositely bowedbearing surfaces which are provided centrally with longitudinal slots, spring-caps having shanks conforming to said bearing surfaces and provided with lugs extending through said slots, retainers carried by said lugs, coil-springs confined between said spring-caps and the opposite end-walls of the follower-blocks and having a partially overlapping end-to-end relation, a lever device interposed between the ends of said follower-blocks and the opposed spring-caps, and a yoke device embracing said follower-blocks.

JOSEPH E. FORSYTH. 

